Method for removing essential oil from industrially-produced non-concentrated orange juice

ABSTRACT

“METHOD FOR REMOVING ESSENTIAL OIL FROM INDUSTRIALLY-PRODUCED NON-CONCENTRATED ORANGE JUICE”, characterized for comprising a first stage, in which s the non-concentrated and raw orange juice is submitted to a heat exchanger (B), which heats it at a temperature ranging between 55° C. and 75° C., the non-concentrated and raw orange juice being then submitted to a second stage of the present method, in which the same is directed to a vacuum chamber C), where vapors (D) formed by essential oil and substances composing the orange essence are produced; vapors (D), in a third stage of the present method, are submitted to a second plate heat exchanger (E) which acts as a condenser, which condenses vapors obtained as a result of the vacuum chamber (C) action, thereby making those vapors to become liquid which then is sent, in a forth stage of the proposed method, to a decanting tank (F), inside of which the fifth stage of this method occurs, related with the separation of two different phases, one of them being an oily phase (G) formed by the essential oil, and the other aqueous phase (H) formed by substances composing the orange essence; in a sixth stage, the oily phase is removed from the process while at the same time, in a seventh stage, the aqueous phase is aggregated to the orange juice which passed through the chamber (C), thereby forming the final product.

[0001] The present report refers to an invention patent treating of a method to allow oil removal from non-concentrated orange juice obtained through industrial processing, which method allows the contents of said essential oil to decrease to values lower than 0,033% v/v, a concentration above which the essential oil begins to change qualities of final product, that is, the orange juice.

[0002] Large-scale orange juice production comprises processing of the fruit “in natura” through machines called extractors, which promote juice extraction by crushing the fruit as a whole, which operation produces, in addition to the own juice, a certain volume of essential oil derived from the fruit peel.

[0003] The essential oil should be removed from the orange juice with the maximum efficiency, since concentrations above 0,033% v/v, cause changes in taste, thereby causing a burning feeling at the mouth when consumed.

[0004] Thus, essential oil concentrations above 0,033% are considered harmful to quality of the final product, that is, the orange juice.

[0005] Two methods for removal of essential oil which are known today can be mentioned. In one of such methods, the separation principle occurs for difference of density between the aqueous means (juice) and the oily phase, by creating centrifugal forces generated through a rotor. In everv equipment used in above-described method, called centrifuges, the less dense oily phase is separated from the aqueous phase (juice), such an oily phase being directed towards the center of the equipment, and the aqueous phase, which obviously is more dense, intended to the rotary field periphery thereof, the collection of both phases (aqueous and oily) being performed apart.

[0006] Centrifugal separation is effective provided that both oily and aqueous phases are physically and chemically integral and are not binding through the process called emulsification, which occurs when said aqueous and oily phases are firmly stirred or suffer some shearing processes which are usual during the passage of a liquid inside pumping tubes and systems.

[0007] Such a disadvantage restricts the scope of using centrifugal equipment for specific purposes.

[0008] Another method also pertaining to the state of technique makes use of vaporization and condensing technology, where condensing units which usually use pipe- and shell-typed heat exchanger, heat exchange equipment with quite higher equipment total volume/heat change area ratio are used.

[0009] The usual system to produce oil separation from orange juice according to the second above-described modality shows to be ineffective, mainly in respect of the heat exchange obtained from the present systems, and such a fact) together with the higher volume/dimension of heat exchangers/condensers, generate systems having larger dimensions, a great number of components and high degree of complexity.

[0010] Thus, one of the objectives of the present invention patent is providing a method for removing essential oil present in industrially-produced orange juice, which has as main characteristic to allow the extraction of said essential oil, upon use of phases reducing its concentration in orange juice to values lower than 0,033% v/v.

[0011] Another objective of this invention patent is providing a method for removing essential oil which is substantially simpler than the methods used today, in addition to promote removal of said substance without, however, interfering with desirable characteristics of the product, that is, its smell and compounds integrating orange essence.

[0012] In view of above-mentioned state of technique, and aiming to reach the objectives proposed, a method for removing essential oil, object of the present invention patent, has been developed, which will be described regarding FIG. 1, illustrating all stages of the method in question through a block diagram.

[0013] The method now proposed removes the excess essential oil present in a certain volume of industrially-produced non-concentrated orange juice, through unit equipment and operations.

[0014] Thus, and according to FIG. 1, it is possible to confirm that the proposed method comprises a first block indicated by reference A, and refers to the entrance of non-concentrated and raw orange juice into the removal plant.

[0015] Block A is followed by a second block, indicated by reference B, corresponding to a heat exchanger equipment receiving non-concentrated raw orange juice.

[0016] At block B heat exchanger, the first stage of the proposed method occurs, where the non-concentrated raw orange juice is heated at a temperature range from 55° C. to 75° C., and then, in a second stage, being directed towards a vacuum chamber indicated as block C at FIG. 1 diagram.

[0017] At the vacuum chamber C, vapors formed by water, volatile aromatic compounds and essential oil (indicated as block D of FIG. 1) are generated and removed, in a third stage, to a second plate heat exchange represented by block E, which in this case, acts as a condenser and merely as a condensed liquid cooler.

[0018] At block B condenser, vapors obtained through the vacuum chamber represented by block C are condensed and cooled preferably in a temperature range from 5° C. to 20° C., and sent, in a fourth stage of the method now described, to a decanting tank, represented by block F, which is the place where, in a fifth stage of the method, the condensed liquid is then separated into two different fractions, that is, one oily phase, composed by essential oil, as indicated by block G, which is removed from the process, therebv constituting the sixth stage of the method; and the other aqueous phase, indicated by block H, which is formed by orange essence.

[0019] H orange essence separated in the condensing tank, in a seventh stage of the present method, is directed again towards the process and aggregated to the volume of orange juice passing which passed through the vacuum chamber without suffering transformation in vapors D, thereby originating the final product (orange juice), which reaches the outlet point represented, in FIG. 1, by block I.

[0020] The final volume of orange juice which is already processed through the proposed method, can then pass to subsequent stages culminating with its bottling, which stages do not require any description, as it treats of a matter pertaining to state of technique.

[0021] The method now proposed shows to be more effective when compared with the methods in use today, since it promotes the separation of essential oil together with substances forming orange essence, thereby disposing in a subsequent stage, the fraction corresponding to oil, the orange essence aqueous fraction returning to the final product, without any loss of quality to the final product. 

What is claimed:
 1. “METHOD FOR REMOVING ESSENTIAL OIL FROM INDUSTRIALLY-PRODUCED NON-CONCENTRATED ORANGE JUICE”, characterized for comprising a first stage, in which the non-concentrated and raw orange juice is submitted to a heat exchanger (B), which heats at a temperature ranging between 55° C. and 75° C., where, in a second stage of the present method, the non-concentrated and raw orange juice is then submitted to a vacuum chamber (C), where vapors (D) formed by essential oil and substances composing the orange essence are produced; vapors (D), in a third stage, are submitted to a second plate heat exchanger (E) which acts as a condenser, which condenses vapors obtained as a result of the vacuum chamber (C), thereby making those vapors to become liquid which then is forwarded, in a forth stage of the proposed method, to a decanting tank (F), inside of which the fifth stage of this method occurs, which refers to the separation of two different phases, one of them being an oily phase (G) formed by the essential oil, and the other aqueous phase (H) formed by substances composing the orange essence.
 2. “METHOD FOR REMOVING ESSENTIAL OIL FROM INDUSTRIALLY-PRODUCED NON-CONCENTRATED ORANGE JUICE”, according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a sixth stage of the proposed method, the oily phase, composed by essential oil (G) is removed from the process from the decanting tank (F), and such an oily phase can be used as raw material or aromatic product intended to preparation of aromas and essences.
 3. “METHOD FOR REMOVING ESSENTIAL OIL FROM INDUSTRIALLY-PRODUCED NON-CONCENTRATED ORANGE JUICE”, according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a seventh stage of the proposed method, the aqueous phase composed by orange essence (H) returns to the process, it being aggregated to the volume of non-concentrated orange juice which passed by the vacuum chamber (C), thereby constituting the final product. 